Best Thermal Compound

[Sextron]

So, I'm moving and packed my computer into a suitcase to check in for my flight. I'm gonna need some thermal compound to set everything back up.

What's the best kind / brand of compound these days?

 

[ir0nw0lf]

Overclocking at all? I have always personally avoided the silver-based stuff, can be a PITA to clean off. I've been using MX-4 I think, it's not the best, not the worst. I think just about any of the stuff out there would be fine.

Or just pull a Kyle and go with slice of cheese.

 

[doyll]

How you apply and mount / seat is more important than what TIM you use. Any of the top brand names. MX4, GC Extreme, NT-H1, Chill Factor III, Kryonaut to name a few. Use one that you are familiar with and now its will spread and set well. Use a dob in midldle of CPU about the size of a cooked grain of rice.

 

[Bandalo]

I like the Noctua NH-1 stuff, but all the "big" names all pretty comparable. Some are cheaper, some are way more expensive with far more fancy packaging. At the end of the day, they're all going to be within 1C of each other.

The Noctua seems to be the best price/performance ratio in my experience.

 

[drklu]

Diamond 7, heat the tube up in hot water before applying cause its pretty t h i c c

 

[Pandur]

Noctua NT-H1. Easy to apply. Good performance. And easy to remove. Never had it go hard (and therefore useless), like I've seen with other similar compunds.

 

[86 5.0L]

mx4 is my fav

 

[kirbyrj]

I jumped from AS5 to MX4 recently. MX4 is much easier to work with.

 

[Sextron]

Maybe some slight OC. I've always used AS5, but sounds like I'll give MX4 or NT-H1 a shot.

Thanks for the input.

 

[phantommaggot]

GC extreme and kryonaut.
They win in all the 'roundups'
Unless your wanna get into liquid metal.

I personally use GC extreme. When I run this tube out I may switch to kryonaut.

 

[EvilViking]

Another vote for mx4

 

[Master_shake_]

i bought some 30gram tubes of ebay of no no name stuff and it works pretty good cheap too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30g-Grey-Th...cone-for-CPU-Heatsink-Heat-Sink-/263102515036

it needed to be mixed but i just pulled out the syringe and shook it.

 

[entropism]

Looks all the same, really. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108.html

Not a fan of the site, but really, it doesn't make much of a difference. I just picked up MX4 for $5.

 

[Gavian]

i bought some 30gram tubes of ebay of no no name stuff and it works pretty good cheap too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30g-Grey-Th...cone-for-CPU-Heatsink-Heat-Sink-/263102515036

it needed to be mixed but i just pulled out the syringe and shook it.

For all we know there might be some unbranded Noctua or other high end paste in there.

 

[BitMaster]

Noctua DH-1 on my end mostly. I got a lot of ot from buying their coolers. Would be a shame not to use it I guess.

 

[Krenum]

IC Diamond 7/24 Karat or Noctua

 

[sprout2287]

kryonaut here, or CLP between the IHS and core

 

[Warrior]

I love me some IC Diamond....

Or you can use Mayonnaise in a pinch.

 

[OutOfPhase]

Works really great, fairly foolproof, ready to go right away and lasts a long time, reasonable cost:
MX4 and Noctua

Others can be (very slightly, if at all) better but are more fiddly.

 

[Nicksterr]

MX-4. Why?

1. cheap
2. with a few degrees of the most expensive compounds
3. easy to apply AND remove
4. time tested

 

[KD5ZXG]

For your cheezy reference...
https://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/04/07/thermal_paste_shootout_q209

I still use Artic Silver, cause I have a lot of it, no clue which version.
Somtimes mixed 50/50 with white goop, consistancy seems better.

 

[aaronspink]

For all we know there might be some unbranded Noctua or other high end paste in there.

Considering there are only two major manufactures for pretty much every thermal compound out there.... Dow/Corning and Shin Etsu basically make like 99% of the thermal compounds that are sold.